The avocado’s surge in popularity has defied gravity over the past decade and once again it appears headed in that direction as f.o.b. prices are almost record-breaking even as volume increases.

During the four full weeks of January, Mexico sent more than 222 million pounds of avocados to the U.S. market, and California began its harvest for the season chipping in another 8.8 million pounds. Those are robust numbers and will make January one of the top avocado-producing months of the year, yet the f.o.b. price is red hot.

Freska Produce International has completed the construction of three ripening rooms capable of ripening three loads simultaneously at its Oxnard, CA, facility for use with mangos and avocados.

“These Ripening rooms are state-of-the-art and will benefit our end users,” said Jesus (Chuy) Loza of Freska Produce.

The rooms completed in January 2022 use Thermal Tech Ripening technology capable of ripening the company's mangos and avocados.

The California Avocado Commission’s 2022 pre-season forecast projects a 306-million-pound crop, which is nearly a 15 percent increase over the last fiscal year. The majority of the harvest will be the Hass variety; Lamb Hass, GEM and other varieties also are being commercially grown.

“Organic is a huge focus for us in January and February,” said Patrick Lucy, president of Del Rey Avocado Co., based in Fallbrook, CA. “People are trying to eat healthy starting off the new year, and there is not a better tasting or healthier option for food than organic avocados.”